In a Safe Place
by Sperrow
Summary: Cora needs Hook's help to get Emma out of Regina's way, but his feelings might get in the way of her plans.
1. Chapter 1

**_In a Safe__ Place_**

"Where's Emma?" Hook asked right after he woke up.

David was looking at him. He'd been waiting for a long time and was a little impatient.

"It doesn't matter. I need to ask you a few questions."

"I only speak to the sheriff."

"I am the _king_."

"You _were_ the king. Where's Emma?"

"She's out with Gold."

"The Crocodile? Why would she?"

"Apparently, she owed him a favor. And now they're looking for his son."

Hook seemed worried. He knew what Gold was capable of, and what he could do to Emma if she didn't do exactly as he asked. He also knew that Emma was not the kind of person who does everything the others tell her to.

"Are you going to cooperate or not?" David asked, surly.

"The doctor said I needed to rest. The memories of the accident are very disturbing for me, your majesty."

David left the room and slammed the door, leaving Hook alone with his thoughts. A few minutes passed when Emma entered the place.

"I heard you were on a searching trip with your new best friend." Said the pirate with a smirk.

"I came to check up on you."

"I'm glad, love."

"You shouldn't have come, Hook." Emma sat on a chair beside his bed.

"I bet you left me there with that giant for a reason."

"I didn't… It wasn't…" She didn't know what to say. It had no explanation. He _had_ been nice and true to her, and to return the favor she had left him to be killed by a giant. She'd been trying not to think about that, but now he was right there, looking at her with that stupid smirk on his face. It was hard not to feel guilty when he was doing that.

"It's ok, love. I forgive you."

"And who said I'm looking for your forgiveness?"

"Well, your guilty face gave it away." He smiled and reached for her hand, and she let him touch her. "You should be kind to me, Swan. I almost died because of you."

"Me?" She got her hand off his. "What are you even talking about?"

"Why am I here?"

"You said it yourself. You came here to kill Gold."

"Killing Gold was my first reason."

"And the other reason was to see me?" Emma said, with a sarcastic smile.

"I will understand if you don't believe me, but you should know that you'll be making the same mistake you made back at the giant's castle."

"Will I?"

"You won't trust me? Again?"

She looked at him. Trying to use the powers she said she had. Trying to figure out what he was up to.

"You know Gold is going to kill you, don't you?"

"You told them to hide me. He won't be able to kill me if he doesn't find me."

"You won't be here forever, Killian. You'll go out eventually and Gold will come for you."

"Are you worried, love?"

The door opened and David came in.

"Emma, Gold's waiting for you outside. It's time to go."

"Ok, I'll be right there."

David waited and then realized what was happening. Or part of what was happening.

"I'll wait for you outside. Be quick."

She stood up and placed the chair back where it was.

"Emma." Hook said.

"Yes?" She said, checking her phone.

"Look at me."

Emma rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Be careful." He seemed really worried.

"Are you worried about me?"

"It's the Crocodile. He killed Milah. I took Belle out of his life. He might do it again."

"What? Hurt me? He won't."

"You can't be sure about that."

"I can take care of myself. There's no need to worry."

"He might use you to try to hurt me."

Emma was taken by surprise. So that meant he really _had_ feelings for her? All of a sudden she felt even worse about leaving him on that castle. She smiled at him, trying to look natural.

"He won't."

She touched his hand and left. When she was by the door, she came back and showed him her bag.

"I forgot to mention that your hook is in a safe place."

"I would like to have that back, love."

"Consider it as something to protect me while I'm with Gold. I'll never forget you this way." She said and left.

"You'll never forget me even if all the pieces of me are gone, Swan!" Hook said in a loud voice, hoping Emma had heard that part. Because he knew it was true.


	2. Chapter 2

**This fic was supposed to be a one-shot, one-chapter, one-everything, but I love writing Captain Swan and I had this idea today. I promise this won't be a never ending story, but I'm not sure about when or how it will end. I'll probably finish this really fast, since I tend to write compulsively when I'm too invested in a ship. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for all the positive feedback! This is a little bit more of what I think that should/could happen on the show, but let's not forget that this is completely AU.**

* * *

"How was the trip with Gold?"

"Can we not talk about it?"

They were at their place. Henry was at school and David was finishing some paperwork he'd left at the police station. Mary Margaret had done cocoa for both of them and Emma was sitting on the couch, trying to relax after the long trip with Rumplestilskin.

"Let's talk about something else, then."

"Nothing related to Gold or the curse or the possibility of people from the rest of the world getting in Storybrooke, if you please. I deserve some vacation from all of this."

"You don't leave me many options."

"What are you talking about?" Emma knew where that was going, and she knew that they would have to talk about that, one way or another. Especially when she had Snow White as her mother.

"Emma, do you think I'm blind? Or deaf?" She had turned to Emma, facing her with that serious look she only gave her when the subject was her health or her love life, and her health was perfectly fine.

"I still don't see where you're going." She lied.

"I am talking about you and that pirate."

"Pirate?" Emma chuckled, "You must be insane."

"Well, I don't think I am. I saw you two back at our land. And I also saw how you acted when you found him here."

"What? I don't think-"

"Let's not start explaining. You told the nurse to hide him, you brought him up at least twice when we were at the hospital and the fact that Gold threatened him made you change your mind about going with him on that trip."

"I _owed _him a favor."

"I'm just saying that I saw the look on your face. And that I'm your mom and I know you."

"You can't be trying to say that I have feelings for him."

"You were the one who wanted to see him one last time before leaving."

"Did David tell you?"

"We don't keep secrets from each other."

"Yeah, I know." Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Look, mom," It still felt weird calling her that, "You're wrong, ok? I don't have feelings for Hook. I asked the nurse to help him because if Gold had seen him, he would probably be dead by now. It was the least I could do after leaving him on that beanstalk."

"Oh, we got to the point, then!" Mary Margaret was very happy with herself at this point. "You feel guilty!"

"What? No!"

"Of course you do. I didn't want to say it because I wanted you to realize yourself. And, apparently, you did. You saved him because you wanted to make it up to him."

"I don't think _make up_ is the best expression here." Emma always felt uncomfortable when she had to express her feelings, but it was Mary Margaret. It would be better if they talked about it at once. "I just didn't want him to get hurt, that's all."

"Emma, dear. Can't you see? You care about him. Can't you see you didn't want him to get hurt because you care about him?"

Emma knew she was right, but she didn't want to admit it. "Yeah… As much as I love talking about my feelings with you, I am exhausted, and I really need some sleep right now. Thank you for the cocoa."

"You can't avoid this forever." Mary Margaret smiled. She knew that her job was done. She had showed Emma her own feelings and now she needed time to analyze them. Maybe not now, since she was so tired, but she knew that at a certain point, Emma would realize what was going on.

* * *

Emma went to her room and threw her bag on the ground, what made Hook's hook fall from the pocket. She tried to ignore it, but it was there, facing her. Just like he used to do with his big blue eyes. She took the hook in her hands and felt the cold of the metal.

"Feelings for Captain Hook." She laughed at herself, "Someone please pinch me."

She placed the hook on the bed table and turned off the lights. Five minutes later she was already sleeping, and she hoped a certain pirate wouldn't show up to haunt her dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

"No, no and no!" David shouted, "Absolutely not! You two are clearly out of your minds!"

"You're not being rational, David."

"Emma, bring a pirate to live with us, with _Henry_, is not exactly my definition of rationality. Snow, what do you think of this?"

Mary Margaret was sitting on the hospital chair, feeling a little bit tired of that conversation already. "I'm not sure that taking him with us is the best option." David smiled at Emma, "But, I also think that leaving him with nowhere to go is just as bad."

"You didn't actually help." Emma said.

"He's not going, and that's all I wanna hear about this."

"And you get to set the rules since…?"

"Since I'm your father and king."

"I don't know if you've noticed, _dad_, but you're no longer king. And according to the law, I have more power than you in this city. I say that we have to take him because it's my responsibility as _sheriff_ to keep him safe from Gold."

"Why can't he stay at Nanny's, then?"

"It's also my responsibility to keep other people safe from _him_."

"And your family is less important than these 'other people'?"

"Don't make things more complicated than they already are. It's just for a while. We need to see what he wants, what he's gonna do now that he's here, and moreover, how he's going to behave between the normal people. No offense."

"I think Emma has a point, David. And besides, we were going to stay a few days away at that place we were considering, remember?"

"Wait, what?"

"We've been looking for houses, as you might know. And we found one that seems to be perfect. The owner said that we can stay there for a few days to see if we'll adjust and then we can move for good."

"I've never seen anyone doing this before… But it's probably because you two are king and queen or some other freaky thing."

"So what about this, David?"

"Only if Henry comes with us."

"He stays with you for a few days, yes. It's enough time for me to be sure about Hook's intentions."

"Are you sure you'll be ok with him?"

"I will."

"Alright then. I'll go home to pack our stuff. David, will you come?"

"Do you need my help to get him to our place?"

"I'm pretty sure he still has his legs."

David didn't seem to be satisfied with the turn of events, but that was all Emma could offer. Mary Margaret, on the other hand, looked overjoyed with the idea of spending a few days at their possible home. Emma wasn't sure about the idea of them leaving, though. She kind of got used to the crowded house and the family around all the time. It would certainly feel awkward in the beginning.

* * *

"Emma!" Hook said with a smile, "It's great to see you alive, love."

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too, Hook."

"If you don't give me my little instrument back you'll have to start calling me something else, did you know that?"

"I don't know… The name really sticks."

"Well, are you ready to take me home?" He stood from the bed and Emma could see the clothes he was wearing. It didn't look very pirate, she had to say. He was wearing a hoodie that was obviously too big for him and a pair of jeans that belonged to David. The only thing he demanded to keep were the boots, that didn't really look like boots with the jeans covering them. He looked stunning, nevertheless.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, it's just… I'm not really used to seeing you not wearing that much leather. You couldn't drop the eyeliner, though."

"From where I come from, wearing this kind of thing is very acceptable."

"I bet it is." She showed him the door.

"Where are we going? Will you arrest me?"

"I wish, but no. You're going to stay at my place for a few days. For a _few days_." She had to add, in response to the expression he made.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

* * *

"Welcome." Emma said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, thank you my dear." Hook seemed curious about her place, and started observing everything like a little child at a toy's shop.

"Here's the couch in which you're going to sleep."

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"Yes. Alright, all fine, ok."

"I know what alright means." Of course she knew what that meant. She was just surprised at the fact that he didn't say anything about sleeping on the couch. She was pretty sure he'd make some sort of joke about sleeping in her bedroom but he just let it alone, and that was new.

"Why did you ask, then?"

"Nothing. Make yourself comfortable. Are you hungry?"

"If you could get me something to eat, love, I'd be extremely thankful."

Emma laughed at his choice of words. "Ok." And opened the fridge, looking for something to offer him. "Do you like eggs?"

Hook nodded positively, but he wasn't really paying attention. He was more fascinated about the television.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm sorry… What's this?"

"What do you mean- Oh." Emma suddenly realized, "You don't know. Oh, that is just the best!" She couldn't stop laughing.

"Why are you laughing at me?" He was kind of laughing too. "You don't get to laugh at me!"

"I'm sorry. It's just that a TV is one of the most common things in this world, and the fact that you don't know it… It's a little hilarious."

"It seems…" He said with a smirk, "That you're gonna have to teach me everything, love."

"These are going to be long days." And even though she was a little confused about bringing him to her house, she couldn't help but thinking it was adorable that he didn't know what the TV was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here it is. I know that you want a kiss and some touch of any kind, and I do too. I just don't want to make things artificial. This chapter was great to write, and part of it was inspired by the song "Distance", by Christina Perri, just in case any of you want to listen to it while reading. Once again, thank you for the support and the very nice comments!**

* * *

It was late at night, Emma was supposed to be sleeping but she wasn't. It was probably around 3 am.

"Oh, screw this." She stood up mad at herself as always happened when she couldn't fall asleep.

The house was awkwardly quite and dark. When the family was at home, even though they'd be sleeping at that time, there would be the sound of the television that someone had forgotten to turn off, or David snoring, or the simple sound of people sleeping. And the light in the bedrooms made the walls a little less scary.

She went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, or scotch. Whatever made her sleep faster. For a second she forgot about Hook's presence, and the sight of a man sleeping on her couch surprised her a little bit. She approached him.

He looked very peaceful. He was smiling. One of those smiles that one cannot simply forget, and his hair was falling on his face and he actually looked like some normal guy from the normal world. It was a very cold night, so she took an extra blanket and put it over him.

"Hey." He said, in a sleepy voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you."

"I was having a nice dream, you know."

"I can imagine. You were smiling."

"You were there with me."

"Was I? That's… Interesting."

"It wasn't an erotic dream, if that's what your dirty mind was thinking."

"I wasn't."

"I doubt it."

"Go back to your sleep, Hook."

"Please call me Killian. It sounds graceful when you say it."

"Go back to your sleep, _Killian_." She said, turning around to go back to her room.

"Emma."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Oh, that was nothing. It's cold and-"

"No, not for the blanket. Thank you for this, all of this."

"Ah. You're welcome. It's just my duty as the sheriff to look after the people in this town."

"I bet." He said, closing his eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow you can tell me about that dream."

"Maybe. If you teach me how to use the TV."

"It's a deal."

She went back to her room thinking that for the first time ever, she had a nice and polite conversation with Killian, and it didn't hurt, she had to admit.

* * *

"Good morning." Emma arrived at the kitchen and found Hook trying to use the stove. "What are you doing?"

"I saw you using this yesterday and I figured I could give it a try."

"And you obviously can't." She walked in his direction, in order to show him how the stove worked. She expected him to move out of the way, but he didn't, so they just stood there, facing each other and feeling the warmth that came from their bodies. "You should… Move."

"I'm fine here."

"Do you want me to show you how to use the stove or not?"

"I can see better from here."

Emma sighed. "You did everything right. You just forgot to plug the socket."

"The socket?"

"Which connects the stove with the electricity, yes."

"And this was supposed to be a land without magic." Hook answered with a smile. It was almost unbelievable that he really was impressed with those things. And it just became more adorable.

"Were you planning on cooking us breakfast?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"I hadn't thought on how I would do it, but yes."

"Well _that's_ a turn of events."

"I'm sorry?"

"During the time I spent with you, all you did was to flirt with me, then leave me stuck in a cave, then flirt again. And now you're thanking me for what I'm doing and were going to make breakfast."

"I can be a gentleman if I want to."

"Alright, Mr. Gentle, now let me cook us something before we starve."

Hook sat by the counter, facing Emma.

"Please don't tell me you have a question." She said.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"I don't promise to answer."

"You told me at the beanstalk that you were in love once."

"Yes."

"And I realized that the father of your son doesn't seem to be anywhere around here."

"He isn't."

"Was he the one you loved? The one you were talking about?"

She didn't say anything.

"Come on, Emma."

"Why do you wanna know?"

"I want to know more about you."

"He's not."

"Who's not?"

"Henry's father. He's not the one I was talking about."

"You were not in love with him, then?"

"It's way too complicated for your fairy-tale head to understand."

"You insult me this way."

"He was this cool guy, and I was young. Then he sold me out and I went to jail. I had to give Henry to adoption." He was still staring at her. "To make a long story short."

"This man sounds like a… jackass, using your own words."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, a little."

"That's why Regina calls the kid her son? Did she adopt him?"

"Pretty much. Look, your eggs are ready."

"That's all we eat around here?"

"Excuse me, are you complaining?"

"No, absolutely. I was just pointing out a fact."

"I have to go to the supermarket. But I can't just leave you here."

"I can always go with you."

"I'm not sure if this would be any better."

She sat beside him and gave him his plate.

"It's time you told me your story. About your precious Millah."

"Don't you know it already?"

"I've never heard the whole thing."

And Killian started telling her what had happened in his past. They were not really sure about why they were doing that, but apparently it was nice to have someone to share the sad experiences with. And that's something both of them had a lot to talk about.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ok. I'll go to the supermarket and you will stay here."

"Whatever you say, love."

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"What could I do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Go out searching for Gold, for instance."

"You can take the keys, love. I am not leaving, if that's what you're worried about."

"Fine. I'll be back in less than an hour."

"I'll be waiting for you."

Emma left the house, locking the door behind her. She really hoped Killian wouldn't do anything stupid that could get him in trouble, because for some reason she cared about him. And didn't want him to be hurt.

* * *

"Emma! What a surprise!"

"Mary Margaret! Shouldn't you be _testing out_ your new house, or whatever is that you're doing?"

"I had to get out for a while. I know, I know. It sounds weird, but David is unbearable. I knew he didn't want to move out, he told me that he wants to keep the family united and all of the things you already know, but I didn't think he would find a problem in every single thing about that house."

"Is it that bad?"

"It's not! I mean, it needs some painting, but that's all. It's pretty, the windows are placed in a way that a lot of sunlight comes in and it's comfortable and the location is great. But David doesn't want to move out, so he will find all sorts of problems, even though they're not there."

"That's very David."

"It shouldn't be. But how are things with you and Captain Hook?"

"All good. He's been behaving nicely, what was a bit of a surprise."

"I didn't expect any less from him."

"From _Captain Hook_?"

"Emma, you, of all people, should know that the characters you get to know here in this land can be really different from the real people from our land."

"I know, but from what he had done until now…"

"He's not the best human being I have ever seen. He came here with Cora, but I think that sometimes, when we care about someone, even our strongest features can be changed."

"Oh, now you think he cares about me."

"I'm just saying."

"Fine. I have to buy what I came to buy and go back because I left him alone."

"Yes, hurry up, then."

Emma didn't like these conversations with Mary Margaret, mainly because she was right most of time. Hook's words when she visited him at the hospital right before she went on that trip with Gold, "He might use you to try to hurt me", didn't get out of her mind. He wasn't being flirtatious at that time; he was serious, and worried about her. Why would he be worried about her when all she did was to let him down? Maybe he _was_ changing. Maybe he was trying to please her. But that's something she didn't want to think about.

* * *

When Emma was looking for the keys in her bag, standing in front of her door, Ruby came out.

"Oh, hi Emma."

"Ruby… What are you doing-"

"I was just leaving. Bye!"

She didn't understand a thing. What the hell was Ruby doing at her house if she knew that she wouldn't be home? Did she go to visit _Hook_?

"I'm home!" Emma shouted, waiting for an answer.

"Hi, love. Do you want any help with these?"

"Sure." She didn't mention what she had just seen, maybe he would tell her. "Everything ok while I was gone?"

"You've been gone for half an hour, lass."

"I know, I'm just being polite."

"All quiet."

"Are you sure?"

"What do you mean by 'are you sure'?"

"I saw Ruby leaving when I got here."

"Ruby?" He seemed confused, "The wolf girl?"

"Don't pretend you don't know who she is."

"I know who she is, I didn't say otherwise."

"What was she doing here and how did she come in if I had the keys?"

"Are you jealous, love?"

"Can you please just answer the question?!" She was speaking really loud. For some reason she was extremely mad at him.

"First of all, this is your fault."

"My fault?"

"You taught me how to use the phone. So I called that Nanny's place and asked for some food."

"I told you I was going out _just_ to buy food."

"I wanted to make a surprise."

"Sure." Emma couldn't believe him.

"But I can see you're just jealous, my dear. That girl Ruby is pretty, I have to admit it." He came in her direction and wrapped his arms around her waist, "But brunettes are not really my type." And suddenly, he kissed her.

Emma dropped the bags she was holding to try to get off him, but he was stronger than she was and a part of her didn't want to stop the kiss. It was passionate, and she could feel every nerve of her body on fire because of the sudden contact with his skin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, this is a bit longer than usual but it had be done this way. This is the chapter in which things start to change. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

"Oh." They heard a voice saying. Emma pushed Killian away when she saw Mary Margaret standing by the door. "You forgot this bag at the supermarket." She gave Emma the bag, "I thought you'd want it back. I can come back later."

"No, if you… Want to stay for a while… That's ok." Emma was a little dizzy so she didn't really know what she was saying.

"No, I was going home anyway. Hi, Hook."

"Hi."

Emma walked Mary Margaret to the street.

"Don't mention it-"

"I won't. No problem."

"Thanks."

When she came back, Hook was placing the bags on the counter.

"You know, I had never thought about this before but… Your mom and dad are the king and queen."

"Yes." Emma nodded, trying to understand where he was going.

"That makes you a princess."

"I guess."

"Outstanding."

"I'm gonna take a shower."

That was probably the most meaningless conversation she had ever had. Was he trying to avoid something? A possible conversation about what had just happened? Emma had to admit that she was on his side this time. If he wouldn't talk about it, neither would she.

* * *

Almost two days had passed and both of them were living peacefully. Emma would go out during the day to work at the police station and when she got back she would find Hook either watching TV or cooking something. She was starting to get used to him living there, to his accent, to his unusual commentaries every time they would watch TV. The only thing that was bothering her was the fact that he didn't bring up the kiss in any moment. A part of her wanted to talk about it, make things clear, but as the strongest part wanted to bury what had happened, she remained in silence.

"The family is coming back today." She said, while they lazily watched _Pirates of the Caribbean_.

"Good, good." Hook was too fascinated by Captain Jack Sparrow to give her a proper answer.

"That means _everyone_."

"What's the name of this pirate again?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow."

"He doesn't have a ship; he's no longer a Captain."

"They always call him Captain in these movies. Sometimes he has a ship, sometimes he doesn't. It keeps going like this."

"That's just tragic."

"What is?"

"Not having a ship."

Emma had to remind herself that Killian was not a person from this world from time to time.

"_You_ don't have a ship."

"Of course I do. Have you forgotten about the transport that brought me here?"

"Where is it, then?"

"At the harbor, where else?"

When she was about to say something about Hook's ship not being anywhere to be found, Emma's phone beeped.

"It's a text from Mary Margaret."

"Demanding my departure?"

"_Emma, I convinced David to stay here for a little bit longer. Henry wants to go home, though. He can sleep here with us, if you prefer, but he said he's going home to see you. I think he's just excited to meet Captain Hook. Are you ok? Love, Snow._"

"'Excited to meet Captain Hook'," Hook said with a smile, "Am I this famous?"

"He's just a kid. Kids like pirates."

"Would you like to see my ship someday?"

"See your ship?" Emma said in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm a pirate, and I have a ship."

Before she could say anything someone knocked. That meant Henry _really _wanted to meet Captain Hook.

"Hi! You must be Hook!" Henry was bursting in excitement, "It's very nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too, kid."

"Where's your hook?"

He gave Emma a look. "Your mom won't let me wear it."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not appropriate," Killian answered, "And I feel more comfortable like this."

"Really?"

"I do. Do you have a sword?"

"Oh, no, we don't have swords here…"

And they kept talking for a long time. Emma sat by the counter and watched Henry fall for the pirate in a way she'd never seen before. The kid was fascinated by him, and that made her think about herself. In a way, she was also fascinated by him. Not just because he was a pirate, but because of all the things he'd done until that day. She could say he was a different person, and it had only been three days. He could be pretending but there was something about him, about the way he was acting. It seemed, for the first time after long years of anguish and torment, that he was relaxing; he was able to breathe again. It reminded her of that girl from _Pirates of the Caribbean_, wearing that extremely tight corset and having trouble breathing. Killian's corset was loosening, and she liked the way he looked without it.

She took her phone and sent Mary Margaret a text; "_I think Henry can stay. Hook doesn't seem to be a threat. I hope David changes his mind about the house. I'm fine._" She didn't add the "love" part in the end because she usually left the affectionate part of the relationship to her mother.

* * *

Almost two weeks had passed with no sign of Gold or Cora. Mary Margaret and David decided to keep the house and were adjusting the last details, and Emma, Hook and Henry were getting used to each other.

"Are you ok?" Emma asked Hook, as he had been sitting on the couch for nearly half an hour and didn't say a word. "It's almost 1am."

"Emma, we need to talk."

"What about?"

"Do you remember that day when you saw Ruby leaving and you didn't quite understand what she was doing here?"

She nodded positively.

"It wasn't Ruby."

"I'm sorry?"

"The person you saw. It wasn't Ruby. It was Cora."

"Cora?"

"She came here to talk to me. To ask me something."

"Well, tell me!"

"She was here in Regina's behalf. She wanted my help to get you out of Regina's way."

"And how did she expect you to do it?"

"Well I wouldn't know because I refused to help and she left."

"You refused to-"

"Emma," He put his hand on her knee, "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Or Henry."

"You say that now."

"Why is it so hard for you to accept that I care about you?!"

They stared at each other for a while, both trying to figure out what to say and failing. It was the first time that something close to the kiss was brought up.

"I am not used to this." She said. "People taking care of me. It still feels weird when Mary Margaret sends me those texts with 'love, Snow' in the end. Or when David worries about me. I can't really take affection."

Killian smiled. "You can add me to that list."

Emma smiled back and kissed his forehead, he held her hand and stood up from the couch, looking into her eyes.

"There's something else I need to talk to you about."

He leaned his head to kiss her, and she let him. She'd been waiting for that second kiss, because she couldn't forget the first. The way their lips fitted together, and the way her body asked for him every time he approached. They've been living in peace during those two weeks, but they were burning inside, it was some sort of physical need that attracted them.

"Killian." Emma said, resting her forehead on his. "Are you sure-"

"Yes," He interrupted. "I am sure, Emma Swan. I am positive that this is the right thing. Don't you feel it? Please tell me you do."

Emma looked at him. She looked at his blue eyes and his smile. She knew it was the right thing to do, because she felt it. His voice, his skin, even his smell, everything about him made her want him even more, and she didn't want to let it go this time, so she kissed him even more sorely. It felt like that was the last moment of their lives, and she couldn't waste any second.

But, all of a sudden, Emma's legs became week and Hook held her in his arms.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't know, I... I'm feeling dizzy, I…" Everything was blurry and then turned to black. She couldn't see anything, and somewhere far, far away she could hear Killian's voice screaming her name, but she couldn't find him because she was falling. Falling into a hole that didn't seem to have an end.


	7. Chapter 7

**You might find in this chapter some similarities to a certain movie called ****_Inception_****. It wasn't on purpose, but once I wrote it I realized what it looked like, but I don't think I should label the story as a crossover just because of this. We're near the end and thank you for the support and the reviews!**

* * *

It couldn't be true, not again. He couldn't lose her; he couldn't lose his heart, not again. Emma was unconscious in his arms, her eyes were partly closed and she wasn't breathing. Killian put her on the couch, waiting for some kind of response, but nothing happened. He started to walk around the room, desperately looking at Emma.

"I warned you." He heard a voice coming from the kitchen. "You should have said yes." Cora walked in, smiling maliciously. "You could have helped me, Hook. Nothing like this would have been necessary. But you refused; you said you wouldn't 'betray' her… I had to intervene."

Killian felt every muscle of his body twitching. All he wanted to do was to kill that woman with his own hand. But he knew he couldn't do it. He knew she had magic and would kill him in a heartbeat, so he stood still.

"What did you do to her?"

"Oh, quite simple. I came here and poisoned her food. It was used before, I know, but sometimes simple is all we need."

"How did you… How did you come in?"

"Haven't you noticed anything different about little Henry on the last two days? Too quiet? Less excited about you being a pirate?"

Then Hook realized.

"Where's Henry?" His teeth were clenched.

"Somewhere safe." Cora pointed at his room and disappeared in a dark cloud. Hook ran into the room and found Henry tied up on his bed.

"Are you ok, kid?"

"I've been aboard your ship! I was on my way to school and that woman captured me."

"I know, I'm sorry about this."

"She said she needed me out of the way. She wanted to hurt mom."

"This is my fault. She asked me to help her, I said no and now she's being vindictive."

"Where is she?"

"Somewhere far from here, I hope."

"No, my mom!"

"She's in the living room."

Henry ran to find Emma laying on the couch with her eyes closed.

"What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, kiss her! She'll wake up."

Killian sat on the couch and kissed Emma's lips. When he touched her skin, he saw something. It was like a flash and there was a forest. He saw Emma running from something, but it was all too fast, he couldn't do anything.

"What?" Henry asked.

"Your mom is dreaming. Or whatever that is."

"Dreaming?"

"I saw it. But the kiss didn't work, kid."

"I know someone who can help."

Henry decided to call Regina. They knew that she wasn't Emma's biggest fan, but maybe, as it was Henry asking, she would do something about it. And surprisingly, she did.

"Where is she?" Regina asked, as soon as she passed by the door.

"There." Henry pointed, "Do you know what to do?"

"My mother didn't tell me what she was doing, what her plan was. If I knew it, Henry, I wouldn't have let her do it. I'm sorry."

"I'm fine. It's Emma we have to worry about now. Please, save her."

Hook was sitting on the other side of the room, observing Regina and the old book of spells or witchcraft she had brought with her. All he could think about was Emma running from whatever that was, scared, alone. He had to do something.

* * *

Henry was already asleep on the couch when Regina finally said something. "It's not a common sleeping curse. Emma is not exactly sleeping. She's dead, or partly dead, if that makes any sense."

"What do you mean?"

"She _is_ dreaming. But her mind isn't here. It's something much more complicated than the simple sleeping curse we're used to. It's something related to her subconscious. All her fears and problems of any kind are there with her. In my opinion, it's one of the worst curses anyone could ever live through."

"And how do we get her out?" Hook asked.

"You said you saw her in the woods, running."

"Yes."

"I've never done this before, but there's something we can try. If you're positive that you saw her and the place where she is, we can try some hypnosis. You have to think about the place, keep it in your head. And your mind will do the rest."

"And what do I do once I'm there?"

"You have to jump off a cliff."

"I have to what?"

"It's on the book. To wake up from this, the person has to die in the fantasy, there's a cliff in all of those dreams. You have to jump off it."

"Are there any risks?"

"It depends on the depth of the dream. Making it simple, if Emma is too far from here, from the reality, the death there can mean that she won't be able to return. Ever again."

"And how do I know the depth of her dream?"

"You don't."


	8. Chapter 8

Emma woke up in the middle of the forest. It was not the forest near Storybrooke or any other forest she knew. The trees were really high and the air wasn't humid. She even could get rid of her cardigan since the sun was shining really bright on the sky and it was starting to get a little too hot for wool.

She walked for almost half an hour and didn't find anything except for more trees and a small river. Until, surprisingly, she saw a road. A large and bustling road, so she decided to follow it, because, as a river always ends up in the sea, a road always ends up in a city. After some time walking by the road, Emma saw a road sign, and it read "Tallahassee". Her heart stopped and breathing suddenly became more difficult. How could she be in Florida? Most of all, how could she be specifically_ there_?

A little bit more down the road there was a bifurcation, and two other road signs. One read "Welcome to Tallahassee" and the other one read something she didn't care about. She turned left and kept going, as if she'd been waiting her whole life to do that. The city was stunning, and the bright sun apparently made everything look even better. She was admiring the view when a car parked right beside her.

"Emma?" A man said from inside. "What are you doing here?"

When Emma looked at the man's face, she gasped. It was Neal.

"Neal?!" She said in a high tone.

"What's wrong? Were you going home?"

"Home?"

"Yes, home. _Our _home."

"Oh. I guess." She answered, not sure about what she was doing.

"Get in, then."

Emma had no idea of what was going on. She was in a car, with Neal, at Tallahassee. It was almost as if time hadn't passed and all of those horrible things that had happened to her had been automatically erased.

Neal turned right on the main road and kept going for around twenty minutes when they got there. The main road was no longer on sight and there was only one house a few meters from where she was, surrounded by trees and a lake. The house was white and had blue windows. There was a garden fulfilled with daisies and she could feel the breeze on her hair.

"Home, sweet home." Neal said when they got off the car. "Come in, we're having pizza for dinner tonight."

Emma instinctively followed him, and her body acted like it was used to doing those movements; arriving home, following Neal, having dinner. But why did everything feel so out of place?

In the inside the house was even more adorable. The living room was just as she wanted it to be. Blue sofas, light yellow walls, a TV and a tiny table where there was a pizza and two plates ready for them.

"Only two?" Emma asked.

"Are you waiting for someone?" Neal asked, in a tone of surprise.

"No. I don't think I am."

* * *

She spent a whole week, maybe a whole month on that place; living a normal life with the man she loved. Going to work, coming back home, watching movies, going to restaurants. Finally, she thought, things were starting to settle down.

But one day, while she was going to the gym, Emma saw a man. He had blue eyes and was missing a hand. He looked at her and she felt like she knew him from a dream. The man came in her direction, but she blinked and he was gone. During that whole day she couldn't forget the man's face, the way he came to her. He seemed desperate for some reason.

On that night Emma dreamed about him. She was falling into a very deep hole and he was trying to catch her, but as he tried to pull her back, he fell into the hole too, and both of them ended up trapped in some kind of different world.

* * *

On the next day the man appeared again when Emma was on her way to work. He was covered in dust and stopped in front of her, facing her with deep blue eyes. It seemed that he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Emma." He smiled.

For some reason, Emma felt some sort of connection with that man. He touched her hand and his soft skin made her body shiver.

"Hook…" She said, more to herself than to him, and suddenly she remembered. "Hook!" She screamed.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. It's been almost a day."

"A day? What do you mean 'a day'?" Emma asked, confused. "I've been here for almost a month now and… Henry!" Things were starting to make sense now. Emma always felt like there was something missing all the time she'd been there, but she never could figure out what. Henry, Snow White, Storybrooke, Hook… She always felt like those things were all memories from dreams she had had but now Hook was standing in front of her, touching her. It was as real as it could be.

"Emma, this," He said, showing the scenery around them, "all of this is an illusion. Don't you remember what happened?"

"You… kissed me. You kissed me and then it all turned to black. I could hear you but I couldn't talk to- No!"

"What?"

"No, this can't be! This is a dream! You, Henry, Storybrooke! You're all parts of these weird non-sense dreams I've been having!"

"Emma, please, believe me."

"No! This is real." She took some land with her hand. "See? This is reality!"

She started to walk in her home's direction, in a desperate and unsettled way. Hook followed her, uncertain about what he was about to see.

When they got to Emma's house, there was nothing. It was just a large piece of land covered with sand.

"It's not possible!" Emma shouted. "It was here! I just left!" Tears were streaming down her face, and Hook came closer. "I just left…" She repeated in a low, weak voice. Killian had never seen her so vulnerable. He approached her and she hugged him, sobbing loudly and allowing herself to be the weak one at least this time.

* * *

"All this time that I've been here it felt like something was missing. Something was wrong, I knew it. I just didn't know what."

They had walked into the woods, trying to get as far as possible from the city, and didn't even know that if they went back, there would be no city. Just a large piece of land covered with sand, just like Emma's house. It was almost night when they decided to sit down and make a bonfire, and as the night came, the weather changed from comfortable warm to sharp cold.

"How did you find me?" Emma asked.

"I don't mean to quote your parents but… _I will always find you_."

"I'm sorry about the scene you had to witness earlier. I wasn't being me."

"I think, for the first time, you _were_ being you."

"I'm not much of a crier, you know?"

"We all cry when it's necessary."

"How did you end up here, anyway?"

"Changing subjects, are we?"

"No, just sincerely curious."

"Regina helped me."

"Regina?"

And then Hook told her the story about Cora, Henry and how he had got there. He didn't mention the part in which they would have to jump off a cliff, though.

"The book is wrong."

"Why?"

"You don't have to face your biggest fears here, that's not what happens. You get to live your deepest wishes and then you're obliged to see them disappear. This is one of the worst things one can live through."

"So I can deduce that your deepest wish is to live a life with Neal."

Emma chuckled. "It's not that simple, Killian." Saying his name was a way to remind her of reality. "Living a life with Neal wasn't my deepest wish, but living this normal life, without curses, evil witches and filthy pirates."

They shared a look for some time and Hook approached her. He put his arm on her shoulders.

"It's cold, isn't it?" He said with a smirk, looking into her eyes. "I missed you."

"It's only been one day."

"When I saw you unconscious in my arms, I felt the exact same thing you felt when you saw that your house was no longer there. Everything was gone."

She kissed his cheek and passed her fingers through his hair. "I didn't know I missed you."

He touched her face with his hook and wondered where that came from. Emma curled up next to him and looked at the stars. They stayed in that position for almost an hour when Emma said, "We should try to get some sleep."

"Probably." He answered.

She looked at him and kissed his lips. When they touched, it felt like they'd been apart for ages. She missed everything about him. He kissed back, wanting her even more. After losing her, he realized he couldn't afford to live through that ever again. They layed on the ground, trying to find some comfort between the leaves. If someone would read their deepest wishes now, they'd both be hoping that that night never got to an end.


	9. Chapter 9

**So here we are, almost in the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did. CS will always be there to ruin our lives, but I guess they're worth it. The final chapter is already being written and I will post it soon (maybe today). Thank you for the positive feedback and the amazing reviews!**

* * *

When she opened her eyes on the next morning, Emma felt Killian's breath on her hair. She was in a state of full happiness, she felt warm inside. The sun was rising and the birds were already singing. The bonfire had been turned to ashes and she didn't know where her shoes were.

"I see you're awake, love." Killian said in a sleepy voice.

"I've been for a while now."

"Liar."

Emma smiled and looked at him.

"You seem happy."

She kissed his cheek and said, "I am."

They stood up and started looking for the clothes that had been ripped off from their bodies on the previous night. And after everything was on its place, they sat down again.

"What do we do now?" Emma asked, comfortable in Killian's embrace.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't plan on spending the rest of my life here in this place."

He hadn't told her about the cliff yet. He knew he was being selfish, but he didn't want that perfect moment to be ruined.

"Didn't Regina tell you anything? She just dropped you here and now you have to figure everything out by yourself?"

"No, she didn't do this."

"So she told you how to leave?"

"She gave me a way out, yes," he sighed, "but I'm not… I'm not sure that…"

"What? What is it?"

"It's dangerous, Emma."

"How dangerous?"

"Dangerous enough to get you killed."

"_Killed_?"

"Remember when I told you about your mind not being there with your body, you being partly dead or something?"

"Yes."

"Well, Regina said that a way to wake up from this is dying here."

"Dying here?"

"Yes, it's all an illusion, is it not? Dying here makes us wake up."

"It is a little extreme…"

"That's not the dangerous part. She also said that depending on the depth of your sleep, you might not go back at all."

"And how do we know if it's safe?"

"There's no way. We don't know how Cora did things. We don't know how much poison she put in your food, or the type or anything at all."

Emma sat straight in order to start thinking straight. She had two options and none of them were good. She could stay there, living with Hook for the rest of her life, but leave behind Henry, her parents and everything she had. Or she could die and hope she'd wake up on the other side. Hook held her hand.

"You don't have to decide right away. We have time."

* * *

They were wandering through the woods; none of them would say a word. Emma was too terrified by the fate she would have to face in a while.

"I can't do this." She finally said.

"Emma…"

"No, I can't! Don't you see? I have no way out! Cora did a great job this time! I either stay here alive but dead, or I die for real. The real choice I have is to either pretend I'm living or actually die."

"It's not like this. There is a possibility of this actually ending well. You might wake up."

"_Might_. That's what's killing me, Killian. I _might_ wake up."

"Look, Emma. Look at me." She looked at his big blue eyes, and a wave of peace ran through her body. "I could easily tell you what to do. What would be better for me, anyway? I could stay here with you and we would live here forever. I have nothing to go back for. Milah is dead; Cora probably won't let me go back to my ship. The Crocodile is trying to kill me. Staying here actually sound like a great option to me." His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. The words were not coming out easily, but it was time to stop being selfish. "But _you_. You have Henry. You have your royal parents. You have friends, a house. You are the _savior_, Emma. And knowing you and your messy mind, I know that staying here, leaving all those things you love so much behind, would only make you miserable. You said you were not used to having people taking care of you, and why would you? You were all by yourself all your life. And I don't think letting go of this love that's being offered to you is the best option. You might think you can live without it, as you had until now. But loner to loner, you don't have to."

His words hit Emma in a way she didn't expect. For the first time she saw his point of view. He could have told her to stay because it was safer, but he didn't. He told her exactly what she had considered but forgot because she didn't want to die. But dying wouldn't be different from staying there, as she wouldn't see Henry's smile one more time. And then she realized that there was _one _difference.

"You." She said.

"What about me?"

"That's the question. _What about you?_"

"I don't understand, my love."

"For so long I wondered how my life would have turned out if Neal hadn't left me. How Henry would have turned out, or me. For so long I felt angry, I felt hopeless, unable to do anything. And things changed so fast. One day I woke up as the person I've always been, and on the next day I was a savior that had to break a curse and release Snow White and Prince Charming from a terrible fate. And now I have _you_. I had no idea things would turn out this way, but I guess if I met Neal somewhere in the world all I would have to say to him would be 'thank you'. Because if he hadn't left me none of this would have happened, _you _wouldn't have happened. And now I have to choose. I don't want to live without you anymore, _Killian_." She said his name, savoring each syllable, as if it was the last time she would say them. "But I won't do this. I won't be the same young and naïve girl I was once. I can't choose you over Henry. I love you, more than I ever thought I would be able to, but I have to try. I have to try to go back. And if I die, I want you to know that. _I love you, Captain Hook_."

He came closer and kissed her, trying to tell her what he couldn't say in words. He loved her too, very much, too much. And even though he acted cool, he was falling apart. He wanted her in his arms and the slight possibility of waking up and not being able to touch her again was not something his heart could handle.


	10. Chapter 10

"This is the cliff, then?" Emma asked, when she saw the giant and high cliff they would have to jump off.

"Yes. This is it."

"Have I ever mentioned that I'm afraid of heights?"

Hook chuckled, "It's not time for fear, love."

"I know. Just wanted to break the tension."

She looked at him and held his hand. She knew what they had to do and was certain that doing that was the right thing. She would close her eyes, jump and wake up by Henry's side. She had to have faith in it.

"Are you ready?"

"I need to do one thing first." She leaned her head to kiss him. "See you on the other side."

And she jumped. Her whole life passed through her eyes like a flash, and she noticed that she was still holding Killian's hand. He had jumped with her and suddenly it all turned black.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, Hook was laying on the ground beside Emma's couch. The bright lights were a little too much for him so he blinked a couple of times. He saw Henry and Regina waiting for him, and raised his head in a rush, longing to see Emma.

"Emma." He whispered. "Emma!"

He looked at her and she was still. Her eyes were closed and her skin was pale. He couldn't believe his eyes. He waited for her to move, to breathe, to open her eyes, but she didn't.

"Come on, darling." Regina said, leading Henry to the front door.

"Wait, but my mom!"

"We can come back later. When she wakes up they will have a lot to talk about."

Henry sighed and went out with Regina. She gave Hook a look.

"I'm sorry." She said in a low voice right ever Henry left.

Killian's eyes were wet, and tears were already streaming down his face. He sat on the couch and put Emma's head on his lap.

"Emma. Emma, don't do this. You have so much to do. You have Henry, you have a life here. You have _me_. I should have been more selfish, I should have told you to stay. You were afraid, and you were right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about all of this. I'm sorry Cora came and did this to you." He started to caress her hair. "I can't be here if you're not, I can't live this life if you're not in it. I had no idea how important you were to me until I lost you. Please, come back. Please don't leave me. _I love you_." And he kissed her.

* * *

It was a sunny day, and Hook was aboard his ship. The sea was calm and nothing seemed to disturb him. It was like a dream.

"Ahoy, Captain." Emma said, coming from the below deck. She was wearing a flowery dress and had her hair up in a ponytail. It was an unusual look for her.

"You're beautiful."

"Thanks."

"So how do you like my ship?"

"It's ok." She teased.

"_Ok_. It's a lot, coming from you."

"Are you saying I'm critical, captain?" She approached him and put her arms around his chest.

"That's not what I said."

"I could start a mutiny, you know?"

"I don't think you will." He said with a smirk.

"And what makes you think that?"

"You like the captain way too much."

"True."

And then something unexpected happened; a storm started to take form on the sky. Dark clouds and strong winds came out of the blue and the ship started to rock.

"What's happening?" Emma shouted.

"It's a storm. Hold on!" He took the helm and started to ride the ship, trying to get away from the storm.

"Killian!" Emma screamed.

When he turned his face to look at her, he saw her hanging on the ship's edge, and none of the crew seemed to see her. He ran to her direction.

"Emma! Take my hand!"

But it was too late. She had fallen and he couldn't see her anywhere. She was lost. He couldn't lose her again, so he jumped off the ship and dived, desperately trying to find her, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. When he got to the surface again there was no more ship to go back to, there was nothing, not even the storm. Just the endless ocean and a broken heart, that he knew that would never heal.

"Emma!" He screamed with all the strength he had, on his last attempt to have any hope at all.

"Hook!" He heard her voice and turned around. "Hook, wake up!" He didn't understand what she was saying. "Killian! Wake up!"

He opened his eyes and saw Emma sitting next to him on the couch.

"Emma? You're here! But how… You were…"

She interrupted him with a magic kiss. There was no better word to describe it. And then he knew. It was the kiss. In the moment he told himself he loved her. In the moment he told _her_ he loved her. In the moment he touched her lips the curse was undone, because nothing can overcome love, not even the most terrible curse of all.

"I love you." He said, kissing her neck, and then her shoulder. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

She smiled. "I know."

* * *

After a few days, Henry, Hook and Emma were having dinner when Henry came up with an idea.

"How about we visit Killian's ship tomorrow?"

Emma looked at Hook and saw that he was suddenly anxious.

"What do you think, Killian?"

"I think it's a little too early for that, Henry. You're not a pirate yet. And also," he looked at Emma, "there's a storm coming."


End file.
